The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1887-12-09
A STRANGE STORY OF
THE SEA.
San Francisco Chronicle.

San Francisco Chronicle.
Tweuty-six years ago a little child
toddled from it's mothers doorstep
on the shores of Halfmoon Bay tC
it's playground on the smooth, peb
bly, beach, where it was accustomed
to pass the sunny hours in innocent
play, gathering SHINING shells,
bright pebbles and gay sea mosses
to carry home to add to its little
hoard of treasures. There was no
thoughts of danger in the mothers
mind as she saw her little one go
with unsteady steps down toward
the shore, where the wavelets, lap
ping on the strand, were throwing
up the objects tor which the little
tOddlcr made u daily search. The
hours passed on, aud at length the
mother, becoming anxious at the
prolonged absence OF her baby,
went to the door tO call her home.
She scanned the long stretch
of the beach, but the little one was
nowhere to be seen. The tide which
was at the ebb when the little one
lett her home had come in, and
tbele was nothing but white sand
to be seen as tar as the eye could
reach. A search among the neigh
bors' houses brought no tidings OF
the little one, aud the mother, now
thoroughly alarmed, assisted by
other members of the family, began
an anxious search tor the missing
babe. The afternoon aud evening
wore away, and through tho night
the friends and neishbOrs kept up
the search among the sand hills
aud shrubs which lined the beach,
but without avail. Not trace
could be found of the child.
The hours heightened into days
aud the search hal been abandoned
SO far as hopes Ot finding the child
were concerned, but still the sot
rowing mother made her daily
search along the beach where her
baby had been wont TO play, hop
ing to find something which would
give at least Glew 10 the fate of
her darling. Oue day-tbe third
or fourth after the disappearance OF
her child.-the mother found little
bunding of clothing, wet and torn
by The waves, which covered the
remains of her little one, The body
having been cast up by the sea dur
ing the nIght.
Catching the body up, sue ran
with it to the little house from
which the light seemed to have fled
with the loss of the child.
The little body was prepared by
tender hands tor burial, aud it WAS
found that the right foot of tue lit.
tie one vas missing. 1t was sup
posed that the child bad fallen from
a reef OF rocks which ran out into
deep water, and had been drowned,
and that some fish or sea monster
had eaten of the foot. There seem.
ed to Ge no mystery about the death,
and the other children we're wont
to listen with awe as the mother
told In the cleaning how the little
sister wandered away from home
and was drowned. The children
grew up aud married and had chill
dren of their own, aud the grand
mother told again to new set oI
auditors how her little baby went
out to play and was killed by the
cruel sea.
Simple as the death of the child
seemed at the time, it turned out tc
have been one of those mysteries o
the sea which are only revealed bS
accident. A short time ago one OI
the sons of the old lady and broth
er OF the lost girl, picked up On th,
beach a piece OF a large abalOn'
shell Which had been thrown up by
the tide. He was Attracted by th'
bright coloIs of the shell, and as b.
turned the shell TO look at the in
side be was astOnisbed to fnd at
tached to the interior OF the shel
the perfect representation of
child's shoe. Even the little breal
in the toe, where the leather ha'
worn away, every detail was repro
duced in the brilliant cOlors whicl
are characteristic of the interior o
the abalone shell. Little thinking
of the mystery revealed by the re
production by nature OF . baby
J shoe, the young man carried th
she'll home as a curiosity. The frs
person he showed it TO was bi
mother. No sooner did the old lad.
see the curiosity than she exclaim
ed: aIt's my baby's shoe The shO
of my little girl that was lost twen
ty.six years ago"
The rest of the family ridiculei
the idea, but going to . drawer
|; such as most mothers have in thei
house, she produced the mate to til
; shoe. A careful comparison show
ed that the lime-inerusied shoe j
the shell and the memeDto of th
dead child, carefully kept by a loS
ing mother through the long year
that she bad mourBsd her little on
we're undoubtedly mates.